The micro-fulfillment center industry is growing rapidly and many major retailers are deploying warehouse automation systems at large scales. In a January 2021 report, Research and Markets estimated a $10 billion business opportunity for microfulfillment centers by 2026.
- When purchasing products online, customers now expect same-day delivery at the lowest possible cost. With some products, up to one-hour delivery can be expected.
- Meeting this demand with traditional distribution centers and manual labor is not viable, especially when many of them are far from cities.
Several technology vendors are emerging in the MFC industry, and this gives retailers many options for automating the order fulfillment process. Warehouse automation providers can model their equipment and components in Revit and make these files available to retailers and design firms considering their technology. Using these 3D models, MEP engineers can replicate the layout accurately with Revit or similar software packages.
Are you a warehouse automation provider? Have your systems modeled in Revit by professionals.
Warehouse automation vendors that do not have libraries of 3D models of their products are at a disadvantage. There is no quick way to represent your system in design software, and placeholder items must be used instead. This makes the design process less accurate and unexpected costs during the construction phase are more likely. Furthermore, the owner will not have a specific brand in mind and may purchase equipment from a competitor.
The creation of the Revit family increases equipment sales
Equipment suppliers can increase their sales by specifying their products in more projects, preferably at the early design stage. This also applies to micro-fulfillment technology providers, and there will be a high demand for their products in the coming years. When a project's design uses specific equipment models and manufacturer names, the owner is more likely to purchase these items.
With Family Creation in Revit , MFC suppliers can put their brand and products even on projects that don't yet exist. Architects and design engineers can use 3D software to show the client exactly what the finished project will look like. Revit models also make the design process faster, as MEP engineers can simply import components from an existing database.
Design professionals will prefer to use equipment from manufacturers that have Revit families available, as it makes the design process faster and more accurate. When a manufacturer does not provide 3D models, design engineers have only two options:
- Represent equipment with generic models or approximate geometric shapes, much less precise.
- Creating your own accurate models, which is very time consuming.
Using Revit families, architects and engineers can complete higher-quality projects in less time. Microfulfillment center vendors can simplify the design process by providing accurate Revit models of their components, and in return, they gain a marketing benefit.
Creating families in Revit avoids conflicts and change requests
When there are change orders on a project, someone runs the risk of losing money. Depending on the terms of the contract, your extra cost is absorbed by the contractor or the owner, or divided between them. Change orders often cause project conflicts and delays, and the best solution is to not let them happen in the first place.
Many change orders are the result of conflicting specifications or equipment locations during the design phase. Avoiding this was more difficult with conventional 2D software, as component overlap was not always evident. However, modern design software like Revit includes clash detection functions:
- For example, if a plumbing engineer specifies a pipe that accidentally crosses an air duct, the error will be automatically detected and notified.
- Conflict detection is very useful when designing a micro-fulfillment center because there are many components in small spaces.
- An MFC saves space by using picking robots instead of human workers and forklifts, but this also means that the dimensions involved are smaller.
When a microfulfillment center design uses 3D models from the technology vendor, conflicts and change orders can be more effectively avoided. The components in the project have exactly the same shapes and dimensions as the components that will be installed in the real project, and conflict detection is easier.
On the other hand, generic equipment models provide a rough idea of space requirements, but smaller geometric features and installation details cannot be represented clearly. This means that conflicts and change orders are more likely when the project reaches the construction phase.
Conclusion
The creation of the Revit family offers technical benefits and marketing advantages for equipment manufacturers, and this also applies to warehouse automation providers. With an estimated business opportunity of $10 billion, you can expect fierce competition among MFC providers. By creating Revit models of your products and making them available to design professionals, they can gain an advantage over other manufacturers.
